


The Dragon-Witch's Pup

by xNinjaGurl50



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Angery Mama Dragon-witch, Anyways, Apparently going to be more chapters, Didn't bother editing it, Don't have one, Dragon witch adopts Patton, Fluffy kidnapping, I'm lazy, Imagination, It is now, It'll make sense soon, Kidnapping, Not Beta Read, OC- Buttercup, OC- Winston, One Shot, Other, Patton regresses to a toddler, She's a Winston's cow, Swords, The fam freaks, Totally not procrastinating, Who knew., enjoy, especially Virgil, is that a thing?, oh well
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-14
Updated: 2019-11-22
Packaged: 2020-01-13 07:36:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18464416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xNinjaGurl50/pseuds/xNinjaGurl50
Summary: When Patton regresses to a toddler due to emotional issues, the fam must distract him until he returns to normal. Cue Roman convincing them to go on an adventure in the imagination, and things not going as planned.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Another one-shot... totally not procrastinating on the other fanfics I am writing currently. For once, I have a fluff one-shot, yayyyy. I honestly can't resist writing child Patton. He is just so cute and fluffy to write. I swear I will attempt to write "Not As Bad As I Seem" Very soon, but procrastination and inspiration to write other things are eating me up. Oh, and SAT's were last week. So that was fun. Anyways, enjoy my non-edited fluffy one-shot!

Patton had always had his moments of duress. Moments when during extreme emotional stress, that he would… change. His body would physically change into one of a child, usually ranging on what emotional state his mind was. His usual age was that of a 6-year-old, whining for what he wants. This was not one of those times.

Roman, Logan, and Virgil stared, blinking owlishly down at the floor. There, sitting in a cat onesie a couple sizes larger, sat Patton. As a 2-year-old. He giggled at nothing, in particular, his little hands readjusted his too big glasses multiple times as they slipped down his face. All three of the other sides looked at each other for a second, still processing what was going on. When they looked down, there was nothing there. The space that once held the small Patton was empty. Their eyes glanced around frantically, Virgil spotting half of his body poking out from under the bed. He giggled as Virgil quickly slid him out from under, clutching Patton to his chest that heaved with anxiety. 

“What are we going to do?! THIS has never happened before! We can’t take care of a child! There are so many things that could hurt him, what if-” Virgil stopped at the tiny concerned gaze staring up at him. Patton shimmied his way out of Virgil’s almost too tight grasp, sitting on top of the arms instead. He looked at Virgil with a pointed glare, before slapping his hands softly on both of Virgil’s cheeks. He pushed them up slightly, giggle in triumph at the squished smile on Virgil’s face. Virgil snorted, unable to hold in his own giggles at the action. Even Logan and Roman let out a few giggles at the sight.

Logan quickly cleared his throat, adjusting his tie as Patton looked over at the sound. He held his hands behind his back, looking at Virgil.

“There is nothing to worry about, Virgil. I am fully positive we can take care of him while he is in this state. It is the same as the other times, yet… with a bit more complications. We shall simply do as we do normally when this abnormality arises… try to help him through this. In the meantime, we should distract him and make sure he does not get in trouble.” Roman perked up at the idea, snapping a finger as he beamed.

“ I got it!” He exclaimed, before grabbing Patton out of Virgil’s arms. Virgil’s hands twitched to scoop him back up again, but Roman had already twirled away, towards Logan. He (carefully-- well, as carefully as Roman can while excited) dropped Patton in Logan’s arms. Logan floundered, barely composing enough strength the hold up the babe. He huffed in shock and annoyance, looking up at Roman.

“Why… are you giving him to me?” Roman chuckled, before grabbing Virgil’s hand, dragging him with him.

“I have an idea, and I need Panic! At the everywhere here to help me!” Virgil growled as he was being dragged, the door closing as he yelled.

“You already used that one!” Logan and Patton looked at each other before Patton burst into giggles. Logan groaned, readjusting his grip on Patton before setting him down on the bed. It seemed as if the onesie shrunk with him, but only a little. He was still practically swimming in it, the fabric sliding up and down his arms as he moved them. His glasses seemed to stay the same size, though. Logan sighed, taking the glasses off Patton’s face, who whined and grabbed for them again. He quickly swished his hand, the onesie becoming a perfect fit. Patton squealed in delight, rubbing his hands on the soft fabric. He blinked as his vision got clearer, his glasses perfectly shaped for his face. He beamed at Logan, waving his hands happily.

“Tank uuu!” Logan blinked down at him, before letting out a fond exasperation. 

“You are lucky you are cute in this stage, or I would not be acting as I am…” Logan picked him up once more, cradling him in his arms awkwardly. Patton simply played with the tie, twirling the silk fabric in his hands. Logan placed Patton down on the couch, moving away a bit. Patton croaked in anger at the movement, grasping onto the tie harder. Despite what little strength the baby had, it still surprised Logan. He lurched forward, choking on spit, before regaining composure. He gently tried to pry Patton’s hands away.

“Patton, may I please have my tie back?” He slowly slipped the material out from under the toddler's fingers, who screamed in return. Fat, crocodile tears streamed down his face as he leaned forward towards the tie, making grabby hands at it. Not knowing what else to do, Logan picked him up again. The screaming instantly stopped as Patton once again grasped his tie. Logan sighs in annoyance, before picking up the remote, sitting down with Patton still on his chest.

“Hopefully this will distract you until they get back.” Patton instantly dropped the tie in favor of the colorful screen that reflected on his plump face. Logan himself seemed to be hypnotized by the colors flashing on screen, his eyelids drooping from the heaviness sitting on them. Before he knew it, both he and Patton were snoring softly, clutching each other.

Logan was jolted awake by a flash, floundering with Patton still in his arms. He surprisingly didn’t wake at the sudden movement, merely groaning and pushing his face further into Logan’s polo. Logan looked up, anger blazing in his eyes, licking like fire. Both Virgil and Roman stood, snickering as Virgil held up his camera. Logan dully recognized it as the source of the flash, before returning to his previous anger. He held Patton’s head closer to himself, yelling in a hushed whisper.

“What are you two doing?! You could have woken him up!” Logan exclaimed, nearly forgetting Patton altogether to throw his arms up. He quickly stopped himself, holding Patton closer. The two simply snickered further.

“Ok, Alge-bro. Let’s get going, wake the little one up!” Roma smiled, rubbing his hands together. Logan blinked at them, his brow furrowing.

“So soon?” Virgil blinked back at him.

“Logan… we’ve been gone for at least two hours.” Logan’s eyes widened as he looked between the two, Patton, and the Tv.

“Oh…” was all he responded with, as he gently unlatched Patton’s hands from his shirt. Patton let out a whine, attempting fruitlessly to gain a hold on the shirt again. Logan held him out to Virgil, his emotionless state rebuilding itself.

“Here. I’ve had him long enough.” Virgil rolled his eyes, taking Patton very carefully. In all honesty, he didn’t want to pick Patton up. There was so much that could go wrong, so many ways that he could get hurt. But he knew. He knew Logan didn’t like physical touch all too much, and Virgil didn’t dare give a child to the equally excitable child that was Princey. He sighed, gently rocking Patton on his chest as he brushed his hair, softly speaking to the child.

“Pat... Time to wake up.” The child in his arms wiggled in discomfort, groaning as he refused to wake. Virgil chuckled, before running his fingers over Patton’s tummy. The child, instantly squeaked, giggle helplessly as Virgil tickled his stomach. He tried valiantly to push Virgil’s hand away, though Virgil kept Patton close to him, and unable to escape. Virgil finally relented, pulling his hand back as he smiled down at the toddler.

“Good morning, Pumpkin! It’s time to get up, we have a surprise for you!” Roman said over Virgil’s shoulder, in which he responded by holding Patton’s head close as he hissed at Roman. Both Roman and Patton chuckled as he raised his hands placatingly.

“Ok, ok.” Roman rubbed the back of his neck, making a mental note not to bother Virgil when he was in “mother hen” mode.

“Surpwise?” Instead, Patton looked up at Virgil, his eyes sparkling with wonder and joy. Virgil smiled, brushing his unruly curly hair out of his eyes.

“Yes, little bug. We have a surprise for you.” Patton cheered, throwing both of his hands in the air, all the while chanting,

“Surpwise! Surpwise! Surpwise!” over and over. They all chuckled-- even Logan as they walked towards Roman’s room. Roman opened the door for the others, bowing to Patton, causing him to giggle bashfully.

“Prince Patton! Today… we are going to my kingdom!” His eyes lighted with joy, practically vibrating with all the excitement. He clapped his hands in bliss. Virgil begrudgingly let Patton down as he squirmed, his eyes examining every inch of the grassy field. It looked a little like a Mario level, with the castle in the far back. Logan turned to Roman, not at all captivated as Patton was.

“This is what you spent two hours on?” He rose his brow in question, crossing his arms. Virgil shoved his hands in his hoodie.

“That is why he had me. He wanted me to eliminate any dangers that might be lurking in the dark here. It took a while to make it kid friendly.” Logan nodded in response before his eyes widened. He quickly scooped Patton up as he was getting farther and farther away. Patton pouted in his arms.

“Don’t go too far, Patton. I’d rather not lose you in this place.” Roman smirked.

“Awww, look at you caring for our puffball!” Logan flushed in embarrassment, before placing a squirming Patton down. 

“I am not, I am simply… looking out for Thomas’ well being. If Patton were to get lost when Thomas needed him, that would put him in danger”

“Nooo~ You care for him! I have picture proof of it too!” Roman grabbed at Virgil’s pockets, who hissed and batted at him. Roman obtained the phone, showing Logan as Virgil grabbed at Roman’s arm, stretching to get it back. Logan flushed even more, snatching the phone from both. Before he could attempt to delete the photo, both Roman and Virgil pounced, all fighting for the phone.

“I will not let you destroy the evidence, peasant!”

“Peasant?!”

“Give me back my phone!” Virgil finally snatched it, flying back before they could reach it again. Both jumped up, about to pounce on him once again when the froze. He had a look of pure dread. Roman reached a hand towards his shoulder, concern overweighing his need for the phone.

“Vir-”

“Where’s Patton?”

 

* * *

 

Patton wriggled and writhed in Logan’s grasp, still looking wildly around the bright grass. He was finally let down, happily padding his way away from the oncoming argument. He didn’t like when they argued. He instead, looked at the flowers down the hill and in the forest, beckoning him inside the cover of their green sanctuary. He happily obliged, bending down to the flower. His little fingers gingerly rubbed at the petals, nearly squealing in happiness at it. He saw something skittering in the distance, a tiny fluffy tail of a bunny poking out from a bush. He quietly cooed at it, following it through the brush as it moved away from him. His sparkling eyes were glued to the fluffy tail as it jumped up and down with the bunny. He didn’t realize he had reached a clearing in the forest until he heard a rumbling. Before he could look up, he saw the bunny skitter, running fast into the brush on the other side of the clearing. Patton made a distressed grunt, reaching out towards the forest. Tears collected in his eyes as the bunny did not appear again. He plopped down, sniffling and wiping his eyes with his sleeve. He heard a sniffing sound, looking up to be faced with a huge ruby dragon staring back at him. Her emerald eyes practically glowing as she looked at Patton. He slowly reached a hand towards her, his eyes filled with wonder once again. He touched the scales on the side of her face, giggling at the smooth feeling like polished gemstones. The movement of his head shed tears brimming in his eyes, the salty water sliding down his cheek slowly. The dragon nuzzled her snoot across his cheek, clearing up the tear. He squealed happily, grabbing the dragon’s face and placing their forehead’s together. He smiled at her as she blinked back at him. Her eyes got lidded as she pulled back, looking down at him. As gently as she could, she grabbed his cardigan with his teeth, like a mother cat grabbing it’s kitten’s scruff. She lifted him up, his weight pulling him down towards the earth but he strong teeth kept him in the air. With one powerful stroke of her wings, and a push off, she was in the air.

 

* * *

 

“What do you mean he’s gone?! Where could he have gone?! I made sure there was NOTHING dangerous in here, he can’t get hurt right?!” Virgil paced the field, his hands in his hair as he shook with pent up frustration and worry. Roman looked sheepish on the side, while Logan held his chin in his hand as he thought.

“He could have been taken. I don’t think he could have gone far, and him not responding to our calls is abnormal” Logan suggested, quickly realizing his mistake at Virgil’s angry face, his hands nearly ripping out his own hair at the tugging.

“WHO COULD HAVE TAKEN HIM?! WE MADE SURE THIS PLACE WAS ABSOLUTELY SAFE.” Roman looked up, all his bravado leaving at Virgil’s rage.

“Actually…” Virgil whipped his head to Roman, making him gulp, shrinking slight in on himself.

“The Imagination is mine to control, yes… but not everything can be. There are some aspects of the imagination that are closed to my control… one being… the dragon-witch.” Roman subtly hid behind Logan as Virgil turned deathly quiet. He stared in silence, pacing, no longer in frustration but in contemplation. He took deep breaths, before looking at Roman with a fiery gaze.

“Would she do anything to harm him?” Roman shook his head rapidly.

“No, she wouldn’t she reacts with her environment. The more violent or more challenges, the harder she is. She is like a boss, she correlates with her area. Since we made this place kid-friendly, she won’t be able to harm him. This even includes her form, she is permanently a dragon and only a dragon as long as the imagination is friendly. She is more like an animal than the normal witch I face against. She is acting on instincts alone, nonviolent ones, that is.” Virgil let out a breath, running a hand through his unruly hair.

 

“How do we get him back?”

* * *

 

 

Patton opened his eyes once he felt they landed. He didn’t like looking down during the flight, although he did enjoy pretending to be a bird. They landed in what looked like a cave, though dark. The dragon took soft steps, seemingly knowing its way through the darkness. Patton squinted attempting to see. She squirmed a tiny bit in the dragon’s hold. Finally, the dragon stopped, at what seemed to be the center of a large room. She gingerly placed Patton down, letting go of his cardigan. Patton called out in distress as she moved away, looking through the darkness for her. He felt goosebumps on his skin as the cold stone underneath him chilled him. His thoughts wondered to what might be lurking, including creepy-crawly death dealers. He whimpered, curling in on himself. Light caressed his closed eyelids, the soft embrace causing Patton to open them. The torches were suddenly lit, each lighting up one by one in the room. The dragon-witch was standing by one of them, her fire-breath dying down. She looked back to Patton, walking closer with slight worry in her eyes. She rubbed her head against him, a purr-like sound vibrating deep within her chest. Patton giggled, enjoying the warmth she emitted. He hugged her as best as he could, his short pudgy arms trying their best to envelop him.

 

* * *

 

Roman looked in bewilderment at the map, turning it from side to side as he examined it. Logan stood next to him, rubbing his temples in frustration. Virgil let out a sigh, his worry increasing every moment.

“Are you done yet? Where is her lair?!” Roman frowned, still looking at the map.

“It changes often. Mostly to challenge me to find it every time, but since we had to majorly change the imagination to take any dangerous parts out, her evil lair moved. It was located in one of the parts we omitted. I was hoping she was in her den when we removed it, so she would be gone for at least a couple days till she was forced back into the imagination, but it seems she was in a friendlier part at the time of our rearranging.” Virgil growled, looking out over the field again. They had no progress yet. They had even asked the townsfolk, who knew nothing about the dragon-witch anywhere near. It made it even harder since she wasn’t dangerous at all. She didn’t actively destroy villages, or cause havoc. There were no sightings to base off of. Luckily, Roman knew the general geographical locations it could be. Mostly, a cave or a tower. Luckily for them, they got rid of every tower, seeing as there were multiple enemies in each one like levels of a videogame. So, the lair was in a cave. Roman continued to look at the map, no one noticing the man approaching them till he cleared his throat. They all looked up at him, the townsfolk shuffling his feet.

“Prince Roman?” Roman raised an eyebrow, startled by the abnormal action.

“Yes?” 

“I know where the Dragon-witch is.”

 

*     *     *

 

_ Winston wiped his brow of sweat, finally done. He smiled, glancing at the sky. It was right before lunch. He headed his way back inside, passing and petting his animals as he went. That is when he heard it. The loud flap of wings, and the shrieking moo of a cow. His prized cow, to be exact. He watched as the ruby dragon lifted up Buttercup into the sky, the cow thrashing in its grip. Winston’s face paled, as he watched it fly away. Without a second thought, he placed his straw hat back on his head, before hopping on his horse, riding in the same direction as the dragon. _

 

* * *

 

_ Winston hopped off the horse, tying his reins to a tree nearby.  He entered the cave slowly and carefully, hearing his cow moo in distress. He had no idea what was going on, but he was determined to get his cow back. He loved Buttercup. Maybe he was a bit naive, or stupid even. Following a dragon to get a cow back. He didn’t care, though. He needed his cow back. His son loved the cow, practically a mother to him. He slowly saw a light at the end of the dark tunnel following it blindly.  _

 

_ He heard giggles, and a low moo, causing his legs to speed up. When he blinked into the light, he was extremely confused.  He blinked rapidly, not at his burning eyeballs as they adjusted to the light. In front of him were Buttercup, the dragon, and a small child. The Dragon curled protectively around both the child and Buttercup, who was surprisingly calm. The child sat on her back, much like his own son Vinnie would. He was giggling, rubbing his cheek against Buttercup in his joy. Winston made a sound of confusion, gaining the attention of all three. The child looked in confusion, Buttercup stood up to meet him, and the dragon narrowed her eyes dangerously. Winston took a step back from the piercing gaze, before raising his hand out in a placating gesture. _

_ “I mean no harm!” His legs shook slightly, the confusion ringing in his ears and the room. Buttercup looked at the dragon, mooing loudly at it. Winston looked on in bewilderment as the dragon let out a huff, before wrapping its tail around Winston and bringing him closer. Winston yelped, jumping as he was dragged towards the trio, the dragon still looking at him warily. The toddler, who still sat on Buttercup’s back tilted his head at him. _

_ “Who?” Winston swallowed, still befuddled by all the events. _

_ “My name is Winston, and this is my cow, Buttercup.” Said cow nuzzled her face into his, making him smile. The toddler frowned a little, causing the dragon to growl deep in her throat. _

_ “She’s yours?” Winston nodded, taking off his straw hat and fiddling with it in his hands. _

_ “Yes. I came here to take her home.” The child’s lip wobbled a little, tears brimming in his eyes. The dragon’s posture tightened, she prepared to lunge at anything. _

_ “We didn’t mean to take her! We are so sorry! You can have her back.” He slowly slid off Buttercup, laughing through his sniffles as Buttercup nudged him with her head. He patted her with his hand before taking the dragon’s face, looking into her eyes. _

_ “We let her go. She goes with Wins- Wi… Him.” He struggled to say the word. The dragon paused, relaxing instantly. She seemed to nod her head, before looking at the two. Buttercup stood by Winston's side, leaning against him somewhat. The dragon bent down, giving both of them a quick rub, before backing up into her original position. Winston stood there, confusion eating at him again. He didn’t know what that was, but the most reasonable answer was a farewell. He nodded mutely, his brain still not computing the events. He led Buttercup away, got on his horse blankly, and rode slowly so she could follow. Only when he arrived at his farmhouse did he realize something. _

_ “What was a human toddler doing with a dragon?!” _

 

*      *      *

 

Winston looked up at the three, still a bit embarrassed at his actions. All three looked at him with various levels of perplexity. Virgil gave a huff, crossing his arms.

“At least he’s not hurt. We still need to get him back, though.” Logan and Roman nodded, shaking out of their blank states. Roman placed a hand on Winston’s shoulder.

“Mind showing us the way? We’d like to get him back as soon as possible.” Winston nodded hurriedly.

“Yes, your majesty!” He instantly turned, marching away from the three. They looked at each other for some time, before walking behind him.

 

* * *

 

Patton yawned, adjusting himself closer to the warm being. The dragon witch hummed in her throat, moving slightly in a rocking motion. He nuzzled his face closer, smiling to himself. He had a good nap, being encompassed by the warm dragon, feeling the soft vibrations of her vocal cords as she purred and hummed. Her slow movements bringing him to sleep. He dozed again, another droplet of drool taking the same path out of the corner of his mouth, and down his chin. Both startled awake at the sound of a booming voice.

“Dragon witch! Put him down!” The dragon witch growled, her slitted eyes constricting to snake eyes. Her wings raised up and shook with irritation as she clutched Patton in her hands close to her chest, hissing at Roman. Patton, on the other hand, cheered, clapping his hands at seeing his family.

“Roo~!” He cheered again at seeing Virgil and Logan, all looking various levels of worried at them. Patton abruptly stopped at a rather violent lash towards his family, and the familiar  _ shink! _  Of Roman’s sword. His happiness soured to fear. He squirmed and wiggled, slowly sliding out of the dragon’s hands towards the floor. She grabbed him again, fumbling slightly with the flailing body. He hit the floor, running towards them, before her tail looped around him, dragging him closer. In response, Roman walked forward, raising his sword as determination flooded his eyes. Tears sprang to his eyes as he shouted.

“No!” Everyone froze, looking down at the small child. He lifted up the tail (barely), almost collapsing on him as he steps away from it. He turned towards the dragon-witch, wagging his finger at her.

“No hurt Fam! Ily!” The dragon looked up at the others, before back down at him. He looked at Roman, his eyes holding a fit of childish anger as he wagged his finger at them as well.

“No hurt lizard mama!” He yelled, before crossing his arms, looking between them expectantly. Both the dragon and Roman looked at each other, before both standing down. Roman sheathed his sword, while the dragon-witch relaxed from her defensive position. Patton nodded, before waddling up to the dragon-witch. She lowered her head, Patton reaching to grab it. He placed his forehead on hers, looking into her eyes.

“Ily, but I got go now. Go with fam.” The dragon witch spluttered, grunting in objection, but Patton shook his head.

“Got go.” The dragon’s shoulders drooped, she looked away sadly. Patton rubbed her cheek with his, before kissing her nose.

“Boop.” He said before stepping back. Roman could see he visibly resist the urge to scoop Patton back up, fighting her own body as Patton ran at walking speed towards Virgil and the rest. Once he was in close proximity, Virgil closed the distance, lifting Patton in his arms. Patton giggled as Virgil rubbed his own face against Patton, ignoring the dragon-witch’s growl at the action. They slowly back away from her, Patton waving by as they walked back down the cave. They all gave sighs of relief (except Patton, who yawned instead) at the light of outside. Virgil promptly zipped Patton in his hoodie, the warmth of the garment putting Patton back to sleep. 

 

* * *

Hours later, Patton would wake, no longer a toddler. Virgil would hug him excitedly, Roman would pat his shoulder, and Logan would give him a nod. They’d ask him what he remembered, and tell him a bit of the missing pieces. Things would go as normal, and every visit to the imagination would have frustrations as the dragon-witch always made an appearance to see her (now) grown pup once more.


	2. Not Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another regression brings the boys more trouble, but they can get through it. Or can they?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I never actually planned on making this a series, which I still don't know if I will make it super long. I was rereading some of my old fanfics and kinda decided to write some of the ideas that I had, even if I have been busy.
> 
> This is unedited and short, but I'm stressed and in need of writing, so here you go. Most likely be more, I wouldn't want to leave you on this cliffhanger.
> 
> I also have two new characters, one my friend and I made long ago, and one we made recently. I love them.
> 
> TW: Regression, Dee and Reem, Reem being disgusting, Kidnapping.

Patton sniffled into his blanket tightly wrapped around him. He held it close as he peered into the darkness, many visions of the worst of things, dark shadowy hands reaching out from under the bed and from his closet. He trembled as he hiccuped, choking on some of his sobs as his brain brought the hands closer and closer. Thomas had a rough week, not only because of his own workload and trying to get something out in time to all his fans, but he had a fight with Joan earlier that week, and he still hadn’t heard back from them. Thomas was heartbroken and confused about what to do, too scared to say anything to Joan, thus, Patton regressed. He felt small, helpless and scared. Patton yelped when he saw his door open slowly, quickly pushing his head under the covers to quiver in fear. 

“Pat?” Patton gasped, quickly uncovering his head to look at the door. He smiled widely, scooching to the edge of the bed.

“Virgie!” He exclaimed happily, his little legs swinging off his bed before he saw the same dark hands reaching for him. He sobbed, looking between Virgil and the edge of his bed, fear overtaking him. Virgil’s eyeshadow got darker as he felt Patton’s panic, his mind frantically combatting his own panic while attempting to calm Patton’s.

“Hey! It’s ok, I’ll just come to you…” Patton shook his head hard, pointing over the edge of the bed.

“No! You hurt!” Virgil stopped in his tracks, looking at him in confusion for a bit before realization hit him. He stood up slowly, his hand tapping a hand on his chin, before smiling gently.

“Pat, can you cover your eyes for a second?” Patton wearily nodded, cupping his hands over his eyes and squinting them shut. He jolted at the sudden light, jumping at the feel of hands on his, slowly lowering them. Virgil was sitting on his bed, smiling.

“Look. No monsters.” Pat sniffled, looking at his closet. No more was there the shadowy demon there to snatch him from his bed. He leaped into Virgil’s arms, sniffling and crying out slightly. Virgil sighed, cradling his small head to his chest.

 

* * *

 

Deceit growled as he punched the wall, Remus not even startling as he sprays hairspray in his mouth, smacking his lips as if debating its taste. Deceit stares at him for a second before grabbing his collar, forcing him up. The Duke simply stared back with a demented smile, his face not changing. His Xoloitzcuintli dog Antony sits at attention, totally unaffected with the act of aggression as his tongue hung out of his mouth, ruining his hostile stance.

“Why didn’t you finish it? You literally had one job! Take Patton while Thomas and he are weak so that we can finally have the upper hand on the light sides! I said nothing about scaring him enough to get Virgil’s attention” Remus shrugged. 

“Did you know that the skin on your lips is the same type of skin of your juicy b-hole?” Deceit shook his head, rubbing his eyes.

“Fine. I’ll do it myself. You get your side ready and wait there for me.”

 

* * *

 

Patton waggled on the couch as the others talked in the other room. He could tell it was serious talk time from the urgent hushed voices. He decided to stay put, despite the constant restlessness. He patiently patted Darius, Roman's corgi while looking around the room. Darius stood at attention, although slightly distracted by the belly pats, he still kept up a regal stance as a knight would. Despite the dog in his lap, he finally couldn’t handle the loneliness without the other sides, and slid carefully off of the couch, padding his way over to the TV. Darius trots ahead into the kitchen as Patton pulled out tangled, smiling as he rubbed his hand over it. He excitedly waddled towards the kitchen, totally forgetting about the serious talk time as he waved his hand with the movie. He stops ubruptly as he bumps into something, falling on his bottom. He looked up to see a man he remembers faintly, but can’t recall. The piercing yellow eye frightens Patton, his lip quivering in fear as the man bends down, his sharp smile bringing tears to his eyes.

“Boo.”

 

* * *

 

Virgil sighed as he rubbed his head, feeling the dull pounding of a headache as he sipped coffee. Logan leaned against the counter, a hand on his chin as he was deep in thought, and Roman was fidgeting slightly as he looked towards the door to the kitchen, sighing a bit when Darius trotted in, sitting by his leg as he whined in concern.

“Guys, I don’t think it is normal for him to do this. It has been happening more and more lately. There’s got to be something wrong, and not just whenever Thomas is having a bad emotional day.” Roman nods, biting his thumbnail in nervousness.

“I agree with dark broast here. I’ve noticed something was… off with Patton for some time. We should talk to him when he is back to normal.” Darius nods, laying down completely on the slightly cold tile. Logan nods once.

“Yes, I believe that is optimal.” Virgil nods, smiling in relief.

“Good. First, of course, we should go see how he is doing. I doubt he is able to sit still for this-” Virgil’s eyes widened as he was interrupted by a child’s scream. All of their faces go pallid and Darius jumps up with a growl as they look at each other, speaking in unison.

“Patton!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I actually had a theory about the whole regression thing. I'm definitely not the first one to think of it, but I believe that Patton being the eldest, due to the first thing a baby does is cry or smile or giggle. Emotions, therefore, Patton. Which is why I think he regresses back to where he started to understand his function, regressing back to his basics... basically. 
> 
> Antony: *Coughs up a hairball*  
> Darius: *Stares in confusion* You... You have no hair, where did all that hair come from.  
> Antony: *Stares blankly*
> 
> (The dogs can speak, but only to each other, not to the sides. Darius has a British accent, while Antony has a Russian. We actually have more to these two dogs, but I won't go too deep into them. I need some sleep.)


	3. Fear Leads to Anger

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Patton goes missing. Virgil is determined to get him back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Annnd I am back. If you didn't see, I posted another of the Baby Patton one-shots (or maybe you read that one first and came here when I said I posted one of these). It's been a tough couple of weeks, but I should get back into the flow of things during thanksgiving break. I'll have more time to actually write, thank goodness.
> 
> You may be able to tell when I stopped writing, before the Haitus, and when I started up, yesterday by the change in quality. I haven't edited or read it, so have fun with that.
> 
> TW: Kidnapping, Fear, Major Character Injury (Not Patton, I swear. It also isn't that bad.)

Darius was the first to bolt out of the room, the others not too far behind him. They stopped in the living room, looking around rapidly.

     “Patton!” They all yelled as they searched the living room. Virgil’s eyeshadow got darker as he stopped to survey the room. He noticed the only thing that seemed different was the DVD of Tangled on the floor. He kneeled and picked it up as Darius growled at the spot underneath it. Virgil’s eyes flashed purple as he lifted a bright yellow scale from the ground, the DVD falling from his hands. His hands shook in anger as he gritted his teeth. Roman walked over, kneeling to pet Darius as he looked up. His face went white when he saw it.

     “Is that…” Logan walks up, examining the scale.

     “Deceit. He must have…” Logan trailed off, deep anxiety taking hold. Virgil felt nothing but burning rage.

     “If he dares harm a single hair on his head, I will make sure he wishes he was never born!” Virgil snarls.

     “How could he wish he were never born when we aren’t human beings, but rather metaphysical beings that-” Logan trailed off again at Virgil’s look. Roman stands up, bringing Darius with him as the dog whined in his arms.

     “Where do you think he took him?” Virgil frowned deeply.

     “I don’t know, but wherever he did, he made a grave mistake in messing with my family. Let’s go find him and tear him limb from limb.”

 

* * *

 

     Patton shuddered as he opened his eyes and sat up, pulling his cat onesie closer to him as a timid chill swept passed him as. He could hear Deceit and Remus in the other room, probably arguing. He rubbed his eyes as he looked around the stone room as if it came out of one of the storybooks Ro would read him. Patton whimpered slightly, already missing them as he scooched towards the edge. He slowly stepped onto the wood of the bed frame, his onesie covered foot slipping on it. Patton clutched at the sheets yelping slightly when they didn’t hold, slipping off with his as he fell. He whined lowly in his throat as he sat up, already feeling a slight sting in his bottom from before. He padded at the sheets that entangle him, before finally getting them off of his head. 

     The doorknob shakes a little, spiking fear in little Patton’s heart as he scrambled under the bed, shaking slightly just at the thought of that shiny yellow eye staring back at him. He didn’t like the slimy look Dee gave him. He closed his eyes when he heard the door open, scrunching his nose in the effort to keep his eyes closed. He heard soft steps before they stop at the foot of the bed. Patton holds his breath exaggeratedly with little puffed cheeks, before a cold wet tongue laps at his rounded cheeks, causing an excited giggle to escape as Antony shakes his tail in happiness. Patton pushes his snout away, wiping off the slobber as he climbed out from under the bed. He stared in amazement, letting out a little “Woah” as he examined the dog. He had never seen a hairless dog before and was fascinated as he pets him. The feeling of rough skin greeted him but didn’t exactly feel as good as Darius’ fluffy pooch. Antony sits down happily, his tongue hanging out as he watches behind Patton and out the open door. Patton doesn’t notice as he waddles towards Antony again, before stopping abruptly as something curls around his leg. He looks down and freezes as a yellow snake hisses near silently as it wraps around Patton, not too tight but tight enough to know each place his cold body presses against him. The snake finally stops in front of Patton’s face, who stares at him with a trembling lip. Patton whimpers as the same yellow eye greets him.

     “Don’t be afraid, little one. We aren’t here to hurt you… We jusssst want to keep you for a little while, that’sssss all.” Patton shook his head, a tear flying off.

     “I don’t like you, Dee! I want Virgie!” The snake tsks.

     “You can go back to ‘Virgie’ if he does what I ask of him.” The snake uncurls from Patton slithering through the slightly open door, before it slams shut, heavy footsteps walking away. Patton sighed before Antony licked his cheek again. He smiled as he hugged the dog, feeling a little less lonely.

 

* * *

 

     Roman trailed behind Virgil, looking at him worriedly as they made their way through the imagination, things peaceful and calm, and villagers passing by them, all of them bowing in response to Roman and Darius both. Logan had decided to stay at the mindscape and the real world, just in case they decided to try to pull a trick on them, keeping guard of Thomas as he was going a little wonky with his emotions being a toddler. Darius kept guard, bowing to each villager who bowed to him, then rushing to catch up. He’d greeted the children and accepted their belly rubs before trotting after the pair as they sped through the village.

     “What are we doing in the imagination, dark and stormy knight? I would expect him to be in his room.” Virgil shook his head, continuing to look forward as he clenched his fists harder.

     “That would be too easy. This is a game to him, and no one wants a game to end too early.” 

     “Then what are we doing in my imagination?”

     “I’m guessing he wasn’t acting alone. Knowing him, he’d want some backup just in case things went wrong…” Roman’s eyes widened in realization.

     “Remus…” Darius growled lowly, just thinking of his horrid dog Antony. The last time they met, he got slobber all over Darius’ fur. Darius shuddered as he continued to jog next to them.

     “Exactly. Which means the safest place they could keep Patton would be in his part of the imagination…” Roman put a hand on his sword as they started to travel into the sunny woods towards the border, a shiver going through him despite the warm sunbeams on his back.

     “A safe place? That place is crawling with danger thanks to him! That is in no way a safe place for a toddler.” Virgil shook his head slightly.

     “They would make sure he was safe. He is their only leverage after all.” Roman stayed quiet as they walked, the summer leaves transforming into orange, then brown, then falling as the trees become barren around them. Their sharp-looking branches seem to reach for them as they slowly got close to the split. Virgil stopped at the edge, looking down. The land was cut in half, the precipice leading to the dark black substance below that bubbled like fiery tar. 

     “ _ Subconscious…”  _ Virgil whispered, the words sliding off his lips with a bitter taste. The other side of the imagination showed beautifully green trees, a mockery of Roman’s rolling fields of vivacious life. Roman had always marveled at that, how the split could cause the dark side of the imagination to create the luscious trees like those traversing his fields, and rotten decayed stumps, but only at the brink. He knew that as soon as you started into that forest, they would slowly die like everything in Remus’ clutches. Roman heaved a sigh as he looked over at the bridge between the lands, rotten and dilapidated. Virgil gave a gulp as he started towards it.

     “Let’s get going. I’d rather not let anything happen to him...:” Roman nodded in agreement, his hand gripping his sword tight. Virgil slowly took a step, wincing at the creak of the board. He held his breath as he planted his other foot firmly on the boards. He continued slowly, his muscles tense, senses heightened as he gripped the rope hard. The slide of his hands had the rope biting into his hands, but he didn’t mind the burn. His shaking knees were nothing compared to the steel gaze he set on the other side, his double voice vibrating through him even as his lips were clamped. Roman was not too far behind him, though he wasn’t as tense and Virgil was. He was careful with his steps as the bridge swayed.

     Both sides froze when they heard a howl in the distance, thundering footsteps stampeding towards them. Virgil and Roman stared at each other, before picking up the pace, still cautious as they ran towards the other side. Roman glanced behind him, his eyes narrowing as the pack of wolves emerge from the dead stumps clogging the edge of the cliff. Their red eyes pierced into them, their noses wrinkled into snarls. Virgil yelped as he full out sprinted across the long expanse, spinning around everyone in a while to glance at the approaching wolf pack.

     “Why are they hostile! I thought they were supposed to be docile when Pat is a toddler!” Virgil yelled, the wind carrying his voice. He yelped as the floorboard collapsed underneath him, barely catching himself as he kept the pace. Roman jumped the small gap, looking behind at the approaching hoard, his frown deepening even as one of the wolves yelped as it fell to the subconscious.

     “It is not like it is automated! It happens based on how I feel. Since Patton isn’t with us, and he is in danger, the imagination becomes more dangerous than before.” Virgil shakes his head as he pants, the air becoming chillier as he approaches the dark side of the imagination. His breaths come out in puff clouds as he shivers.

     “Just great. At least we won’t be on your side until we get him…” Virgil clamped his mouth shut when what looked like the alpha charged ever closer. The wolf seemed to smile in triumph, his teeth flashing. Virgil turned around, running some ways before an idea hit him. He slowed only slightly, dodging Roman who looked back at him in bewilderment. Virgil pushed him forward, gasping out breaths but never slowing down anymore as the snapping jaws of the wolves neared.

     “Get to the end as fast as possible. Get ready to cut the bridge!” Roman nodded in understanding, racing ahead. Virgil smiled faintly as he kept up the pace, only to fall when he felt sharp teeth tear into his leg and pull him backward. He yelped in pain as he fell, his chin smacking against the wood. He quickly lifted his other leg, kicking into the face of the alpha as he clamped harder, starting to drag Virgil back. His panic enveloped him as he felt rope snap in some places, and felt warm blood slide down his leg. He held tight onto a floorboard at the dragging, still trying to kick the face of the wolf, who snarled in response when hit or moved in time. 

     Virgil looked down at the bubbling black as he felt the floorboard come loose, his leg screamed with pain as the wolf tore into the flesh. The whole bridge shook with the footsteps of the other wolves getting closer and closer. Virgil closed his eyes, letting out a breath.

     The pressure on his leg released, a pained growl following it. Virgil’s eyes snapped open as Roman pulled him up, carrying him bridal style as sweat glistened on his forehead. Virgil made a low sound as his injured leg bounced, sending periodic flashes of pain. He looked behind to see that Roman had knocked the alpha into the others, some falling. The alpha himself was climbing from the edge, a whine coming from him before he got on stable ground and started after them again. Virgil turned forward, seeing them feet from the edge. He held his breath as Roman stepped on solid ground, and yelped as Roman promptly dumped him on the spot. He watched as Roman unsheathed his sword elegantly, and slashed at the bridge. The rope frayed but didn’t break. Roman cursed as he continued to slash at it. The alpha growled as he lunged for Roman Finally, the rope snapped. The rope bridge crumpled, swinging back and sending the wolves to fall and dissolve in the blackness below. Roman tumbled on the ground with the alpha, whose sharp fangs lodged into his arm. Roman let out a cry, before kicking with all his might. The wolf yowled as it was thrown off the cliff, its yowls fading into nothing down below. Roman and Virgil sat panting, both looking at each other, then the cliff.

     Virgil stood up, growling under his breath as he stumbled. Roman was quick to help him up, though winced when Virgil gripped onto his arm above the injury. Virgil took shaky breaths, before looking back at the other side.

     “There is a way for you to fix that, right? We can get back… right?” Roman huffed, looking down at the jagged walls on the other side.

     “Maybe. My power is weak, but maybe…” Virgil huffed as he looked into the forest.

     “We should get these looked at before we continue.” Roman nodded, helping him limp into it.

     “We’ll find a place to settle down for a bit. I can try to use my power to heal the wounds, but I doubt it will do much on this side…” Virgil growled under his breath.

     “Great.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I am going to wrap this one up in the next couple of chapters. As much as I 'd like to go into the angst I could get from this, I can easily do that in Transforming New Mara City (and plan to do). Plus, I have another fun fic in the works that I want to work on and maybe share.
> 
> Anyways, have a great day!

**Author's Note:**

> I don't regret a thing.


End file.
